Impact behaviour of aluminium plates: Interaction between global and local response

Structural impact problems have become increasingly important both for the modern industry and society. One area which is poorly covered in the literature, is the interaction in response between localised indentation/perforation and global response when a projectile impacts a plate. This will normally take place when the response changes from typically global structural deformation using large mass projectiles in the low velocity regime towards localised indentation and perforation as the projectile mass is reduced and the impact velocity is increased. In the present project this issue will be studied by firing rigid projectiles against aluminium plates in order to define the mechanisms controlling the response when varying the projectiles mass, nose of the projectile, target thickness as well as the im pact velocity. Aluminium targets have been choosen due to its potential in protective structures in the process and nuclear industry as well as in lightweight fortification installations. Based on the obtained test data when going from large mass/low velocity impact to small mass/large velocity impact the traditionally linear scaling laws will be studied and evaluated. The tests will be carried out in the existing testing facilities at SIM Lab and supported by numerical simulations using the computer code LS-DYNA. The results from the study is planned to give recommandations of how to design aluminium targets subjected to projectile impact where a coupling between different deformation mode s is required.